Dune Buggy Disaster
Location: Stanford, Kentucky Date: June 4, 1995 Story On the afternoon of June 4, 1995, 15-year-old Casey Floyd and some friends were riding their dirt bikes in a rugged area near Stanford, Kentucky. He had been riding motorcycles, dirt bikes, and four-wheelers for 11 years, and every Sunday there were several dune buggies in the same area as the dirt bikes. Casey said that dune buggies were probably more dangerous, because if one flipped, the riders were in trouble. When Casey reached the top of the hill, he saw a dune buggy going up a high and rocky hill called I-75. In it was 29-year-old Brad Oaks and his girlfriend, Priscilla Kennedy. Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound, and Casey rushed over to investigate. He found the dune buggy wrecked and beat up, and asked Priscilla, who was still in it, if she was okay. She complained of pain in her legs as one was pinned under the bars. Priscilla kept talking about the driver, so Casey looked around and saw Brad lying on the ground a short distance away. Casey went over to investigate him, and saw that he was unconscious and his head was bleeding badly. Casey saw two of his friends coming towards him and told one to call for help and the other to come with him. When Casey and his friend got back to the scene of the crash, they told Priscilla that help was on the way. Stanford EMS units were dispatched to the scene, including EMT Jeff Godbey. The road eventually became too rough for the ambulance, so they set out on foot. Casey was worried the rescuers wouldn't come quick enough, as he could tell that Brad's neck was broken because he was paralyzed from the waist down. When Jeff reached the scene, he saw one patient lying on the ground, who called him by name. He didn't recognize him at first, but then he realized it was Brad Oaks, a friend of his and a Stanford police officer. Jeff said whenever he was treating someone he knew, he was always working more intensely than normal. Brad kept repeating himself, which made it obvious that he probably had a head injury. Jeff saw that the passenger was Priscilla, who he also knew. She was complaining of pain to her legs, one of which was pinned under the bars. Within 14 minutes of the call, additional rescuers arrived, including EMT Ron Lester. While he was examining Priscilla, she called him by name. They had gone to school with each other, and it made his heart sink. She was still fastened into her seat, but he could tell she had taken a rough hit. Brad was asking repeatedly where Priscilla was and Jeff knew the more he asked that question, the worse his head injury was getting. Casey saw a large puddle of blood where Brad's head had been and that gave him a sick feeling. Priscilla's injures were stable, but Brad's were getting worse rapidly. At that point, he didn't know who Jeff was. Jeff called him by name, but he still didn't recognize him and was repeating things constantly. Priscilla knew she was injured, but she was more worried about Brad, fearing that he may die. Ron was comforting Priscilla, telling her that Brad would be fine, but if he did survive, there were the possibilities of brain damage and paralysis. They were doing everything the way they were trained, but he was still deteriorating. Priscilla reached over and grabbed his hand, but he didn't hold it back. Ron was crying and shaken up by the situation. Brad and Priscilla were flown to University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center and examined by neurosurgeon Dr. Deborah Blades. Priscilla did not have any other injuries besides her legs, but Brad had not worn a seat belt and was thrown from the dune buggy, so Dr. Blades was worried that he may have severe head and spinal injuries. He was quite combative, so he could render himself quadriplegic or even die. Brad's mother, Wanda, waited at the hospital for word on his condition. She was told that his neck was broken in two places, his clavicle was broken, and he had a head injury. His spinal cord was still in place, but there was still the possibility of brain damage. Wanda was prepared for anything, as long as he didn't die. She said there were no words to describe the fear that you might lose a child, especially worried about his three young children, who thought very highly of him. Priscilla feared that he would not recognize her when he woke up, and did not want him to die, because they had just started dating. The next day, Brad recognized Wanda, and the day after that, he was able to speak properly. Dr. Blades explained to him that he could not leave the hospital until he could walk fully with the specially-designed halo vest, so he got out of bed and walked the length of his room. Dr. Blades was very surprised that he left the hospital in three days. It took five months for Brad to fully recover. When he went for his first checkup, he met a man who had broken one of the same vertebrae that he had. He knew how lucky he was because this man was in a wheelchair and he was not. Jeff said that anytime you're participating in any type of sport, especially one involving off-road vehicles, you should wear the proper safety gear, because if you don't, you're just asking to get injured. Brad knew all of the rescuers and couldn't thank them enough because if it weren't for them, he would have died. After the accident, Brad became much more careful with everything, and when Priscilla saw him and his children, she was always so thankful that they both survived. His children meant everything to him, and did not like the idea of them pushing him in a wheelchair, or worse yet, not having him anymore. He was very thankful he survived. Category:1995 Category:Kentucky Category:Motor-Vehicle Accidents